Murthal gang-rape issue: Eyewitnesses recount ordeal, women police team begins probe

According to reports, women were raped at Murthal near Sonepat during the Jat stir in Haryana.

Sonipat: The three-member committee of women police officers constituted to receive complaints regarding alleged rape of women at Murthal near Sonepat during the Jat stir on Saturday visited the site of the alleged incident.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today asked victims to come forward and register a complaint. 

Earlier today, a truck driver claimed that he saw women being sexually assaulted by rioters in Murthal.

Talking to news agency ANI, Niranjan Singh said that a few men dragged a group of women into the fields nearby and tore their clothes.

"I saw some of the protestors ripping off the clothes of the women and taking them in the fields. I saw it myself with my own eyes that they tore the clothes of the women. They were moving on two wheelers and they were between the age of 20 to 26 years of age," said the eye witness.

When asked if he could identify the culprits, he said, "I can identify them if they are brought forward."

The eye witness further said that at around 2 pm, while he was struck in the road jam, the miscreants set his truck and other vehicles on fire.

"The women walking on road were advised by protestors to take the village road to escape attack and then they were robbed and raped in the fields," he added.

Meanwhile, another trucker told Times Now that he saw women being dragged into fields and children being thrown on roads.

In the meantime, the women police officers team led by DIG Dr Rajshree Singh and two women DSPs, Bharti Dabas and Surinder Kaur, visited the site to gather first hand information about the alleged incident, over 50 km from Delhi.

Asked about recovery of some clothes belonging to women at Murthal on the Delhi Ambala National Highway, Rajshree told reporters, "These had been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for examination".

"Let us see, what comes out," she told reporters in Murthal.

Asked how challenging would it be for the police to identify culprits of the alleged incident, she said police was visiting the "scene of the crime" to collect clues and talking to people in this regard.

"It is challenging. But let us see, what happens," she said, asserting, "It will be our endeavour that truth comes out."

"We appeal to all citizens who have any clue to forward. They should meet us and tell us whatever they have seen, they should share with us all details and we will try to bring out the truth. We are visiting the scene of crime and meeting people," she said.

The state government had yesterday said it would act "swiftly" as and when it receives complaint on alleged sexual assault during Jat agitation.

Police had earlier maintained that no concrete evidence had been found so far which could prove sexual assault or rape of women took place at Murthal during the Jat stir for quota.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report which had said that several women were allegedly raped at a highway in Murthal during Jat stir.

The court had asked the Haryana DGP and Home Secretary to submit separate detailed report on this incident.

However, the state government had been maintaining that no such incident had taken place.

(With PTI inputs)